When you’re ordered to pay child support in Wisconsin, the courts only take your current income into account. In some cases, though, circumstances change – and that could mean that you’re no longer able to afford your current child support amount.
If that happens, you need to know how to lower your child support in Wisconsin.
How to Lower Child Support in Wisconsin
You have the right to ask the court to reconsider its decision regarding your child support payments. However, it’s up to you and your attorney to prove that you’ve been through a significant change in circumstances that makes lowering your child support necessary.
Some things that could be considered a substantial change in circumstances include:
- The loss of a job or other income
- A medical disability
- Another major life change
If your income has changed, you can use our Wisconsin child support calculator to determine how much the court may determine that you owe for your kids’ needs.
What to Do While You Are Attempting to Change Your Child Support
You cannot just make the decision to pay less in child support. While you are attempting to change the amount of your child support, you must continue to pay the court-ordered amount as best you can.
You’ll need to document your substantial change in circumstances, so be sure to keep track of your pay stubs, medical bills or other paperwork that can show the court that you have been through a significant change since the original order was entered.
You may be able to reach an agreement with the other parent. In some cases, explaining your circumstances is enough to get the other parent to agree to modify child support payments. However, even if your ex agrees to change the amount of child support that you must pay, you will still need to go to court and have a judge modify your support order.
It is extremely important that you work through the court system, even if you and your ex reach an agreement on your own; if you don’t, you run the risk of your ex making the claim that you have failed to live up to your child support obligations.
